…Residents decry movement impediments, slow pace of work
…Businesses face low patronage
…Govt assures on alternative route, relief
In December 2024, Folarin Olajide-Thomas, visited Nigeria for the first time with three of his friends, who were also first-time visitors.
Folarin, a 27-year-old British male, born in London to Nigerian parents who migrated to the United Kingdom three decades ago, was in the country, with his friends and over half a million other Nigerian diasporans, who visited to enjoy ‘Detty December’, the fast-rising end-of-year event, across the country, but most popular in Lagos.
For almost two weeks, they visited every restaurant, cafe and beach house worth its name. They partied, went for music shows, clubs and beach parties, spent their hard currencies and made Lagos businesses and especially the government, richer with billions earned in revenue within that short but loaded period.
While the Lagos State government and businesses hope to double the earnings from ‘Detty December’ 2024 this year, that hope may be dashed considering the disruption caused by the on-going road construction on the Lagos coastal corridor.
Both businesses and residents along the corridor have welcomed the road initiative, aimed at opening up the Lagos coastal corridor, amid its huge opportunities, but are also decrying the disruption it is causing to vehicular movement and access to businesses along the construction route.
Elegushi, which was one the hubs of the ‘Detty December’ celebrations last year is now a mess, amid heavy flooding due to the construction.
The residents, who now stay longer in traffic than before the road construction are decrying the situation, while calling on Hitech, the construction company handling the work, to create more access or ensure that the available ones are motorable to reduce their sufferings.
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For Sade Bameke, a resident of Remi Olowude Street, Eti-Osa, Lekki, the on-going road construction project has resulted in the blocking of many access roads along the coastal corridor as well as disrupted movement and the neighborhood’s entire rhythm.
“Every December, this place used to come alive,” she recalled. “There would be traffic, yes, but it was happy traffic of people coming for parties, shopping, and events. Now, it is just noise and confusion. You cannot move freely anymore. Some streets have been blocked for months.”
If nothing is done soon to remedy the situation, she fears that this year’s Detty December may not bring the usual joy to people.
“It is sad. We used to host friends and families during the festive holidays. But with these blocked roads, I doubt anyone will want to visit,” she decried.
The frustration extends to Alan Oghere, a resident of Blue Water Zone, who finds it difficult to navigate the rough road and little access to the nearby Filmhouse Cinema at Twin Waters Entertainment Centre.
“I think, this is the price we residents are paying for the good initiative by the government. But we ask for human face in the road construction as the stress of navigating rough and blocked roads in and out for work every day is killing. They should increase the pace and conclude on a portion before jumping to others to ease access,” Oghere lamented.
Also, non-residents, especially workers within the construction area are also not left out in the pain.
Atunda Fatai, who works at Twin Waters Entertainment Centre, decried that getting to work each day feels like a battle.
“The blockage of routes that lead to the coastal road is not helping we workers,” he noted.
If the situation continues, Fatai fears that the festive season will be a nightmare as patrons will struggle to reach them.
Taking the issue personal, Fatai cried out, insisting that Detty December is not just about fun for leisure seekers, but also about survival for poorly-paid employees like him, who commute every day from the mainland, with little or no savings at the end of the month.
“I earnestly pray for more access before December because that is when we make the most money.
“The tips from generous customers are better, shifts are longer, and we all earn more. But if people cannot reach us, we will lose everything,” he lamented.
Apart from the residents and employees, businesses are also crying out.
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An executive at Wave Beach, along the coastal road corridor, regretted that the roadblocks and little access have impacted their business negatively, citing millions lost by a client due to sudden blocking of the access roads to their venue, which saw only 29 percent of people that paid online able to attend the event.
“Detty December is looking like one chaos waiting to happen for beach goers if not adequately managed,” the executive decried.
But, the residents, according to the beach business operator, are even more impacted as they spend hours navigating home in gridlocks due to poor planning of the construction work.
At Landmark Centre, a hub of entertainment along the coastal road corridor, the situation is already affecting business as patronage decline on fewer access roads to the centre.
“The beach used to be a big draw during Detty December. People came from all over the country and even abroad. But now, with all these roadblocks and slow construction, we are afraid this year’s December won’t be the same,” an officer at the centre decried.
The reality, according to the officer, is that potential clients are now calling, even from abroad, to ask if they can still access the beach in December, and we do not raise their hope too high because we are not in control of the construction.
While big businesses are crying, small ones are more at risk as owners brace for a tough season ahead. Kelechi Onukwe, who runs a food stand near Landmark Beach, who usually doubles her stock in December to meet high demand from partygoers, fears to do the same this year due to the obvious signs of less patronage ahead.
“We sold out almost every night last year. But I am not sure that people will even come this year because the road is hard to pass. Even delivery riders complain,” Onukwe lamented.
But, instead of folding hands to watch things get worse, residents and businesses along the route are offering solutions to the construction company and the Federal Ministry of Works.
The Wave Beach executive suggested that Hitech, the construction company, should create temporary U-turns at Jakande, Meadow Hall and Blue Water junctions to ease traffic and improve access.
“Increase road signages directing road users on the turnings. Remove miscreants from the road specifically at night and fix the slip roads to allow residents and beach goers navigate home,” the beach operator suggested.
Bameke suggested that the construction company should tidy-up the areas they have finished working on and remove roadblocks that hitherto served as warnings to motorists.
“Just look at how untidy the Blue Waters Zone is. It is our prime residence and should return to its former serenity disrupted by the construction,” she said.
She also called on the Lagos State government to send its transportation and environmental agencies to the areas construction works have been completed in order to enforce sanity on the roads and restore peace for the residents.
On its part, the Lagos State government, through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is set for yet another ‘Detty December’, and even hoping to double the earnings, despite the access challenge.
Segun Ade, a former staff of the Ministry, who is now a senior staff with the state civil service, assured that Lagos will bubble even more during the forthcoming festive season, insisting that the beaches, clubs and restaurants are not only in the Lekki axis, but across the state.
“We are proactive and will ensure smooth celebrations this festive season. But Lagos is not only about Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Lekki and Detty December will happen everywhere in Lagos, both mainland and Island. The diasporas are coming again, in larger numbers this year,” he assured.
Reacting to the development, an engineer with Hitech, noted that the pace of work has been good as the coastal road construction has been progressive since it was flagged off.
He noted that beach goers can always access Landmark Centre, Twin Waters Entertainment and Blue Water Zone through Victoria Island, Water Corporation Road, the Lekki Expressway and other access roads.
“We have progressed and gone farther than some of the areas residents are complaining about. It is just that many are inpatient and often undermine signages and their direction for ease access or alternative routes at any point,” the engineer, who pleaded for anonymity, explained.
He urged for patience and support as the road is being thoroughly done, while insisting that there are many alternative routes, but most motorists want the shortest routes, even ones that are not officially opened.
In the same vein, David Umahi, minister of Works, is appreciative of the quality of work executed by Hitech, but not necessarily on complaints as such is expected on a construction of that magnitude, which when completed, according to him, will open up Lagos and other coastal corridors on the route across the country for several impactful opportunities.
